Which to use
“patt” is an adjective and “putzt” is a verb - they look or sound alike but fill different roles in a sentence.
- #45,502
- “patt” frequency rank
- #23,276
- “putzt” frequency rank
- 68778
- confusion score
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Feature | patt | putzt |
|---|---|---|
| Definition | Im Schachspiel: nicht im Schach zu stehen, jedoch keinen regelgerechten Zug mehr ausführen können, ohne in ein Schach zu geraten; die Partie wird dann als unentschieden gewertet | 2. Person Plural Imperativ Präsens Aktiv des Verbs putzen |
Where the eye mixes patt and putzt
Muted = shared; highlighted = the visual trap. They share 3 letters in sequence.
Visual trap between patt and putzt
These two trip readers on the page rather than in the ear: patt is [pat] while putzt is [pʊt͡st]. Spoken aloud the problem disappears. In writing it persists, because they differ by 1 letter(s) in length, and the parts of speech differ too (adjective vs verb), which is usually the fastest check. Our composite confusion score for this pair is 68778, derived from the frequency rank of both members and their visual similarity.
patt is recorded at frequency rank #45,502, classified as anadj, pronounced [pat]. putzt is at rank #23,276, tagged as averb, pronounced [pʊt͡st].
Glosses for this pair are partially populated in our dataset, but the full side-by-side definitions above should still guide you to the right choice.
With a confusion score of 68778, this pair ranks #497,121 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs - among the most confusable pairs.
Orthographic DNA of patt vs putzt
Shared letters: pt. Private to "patt": a. Private to "putzt": uz.
"patt" · 4 letters · shape CVCC · "putzt" · 5 letters · shape CVCCC
Known mistypes of this pair
Frequently Asked Questions
Can "patt" and "putzt" be used interchangeably?
Which is more common, "patt" or "putzt"?
What to do next
Pronunciation already separates them, if the page still looks alike, the dictionary links below settle it.
- Full dictionary entry for "patt" with definition, IPA, and generated misspellings. Word entry
- Full dictionary entry for "putzt" - compare definitions side by side with the headword page. Word entry
- This pair ranks #497,121 of 2,006,359 scored German confusable pairs in this corpus vintage. Corpus statistics
- "patt" and "putzt" also get mixed up with nearby pairs, the highest-scored neighbour is "patt vs Pau". Nearby pair
- Recorded mistypes exist for at least one side of this pair, useful when a spell-checker or OCR lands on the wrong form. See mistypes
Confusion rank #497,121 of 2,006,359 scored German pairs, corpus vintage 2026-09-03, not spelling advice.